Recognized in Ones to Watch since 2021 
Partner | Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (The Virginia Trial Firm) | Richmond, Virginia
Reviewed by Joseph L. Cantor, Partner. Last reviewed: July 22, 2026.
Joseph L. Cantor is a partner at Cantor, Grana, Buckner, Bucci, P.C. (CGBB), The Virginia Trial Firm in Richmond, Virginia. Joseph represents people who have suffered catastrophic injuries and families who have lost a loved one to someone else’s negligence. His practice focuses on traumatic brain injury, tractor-trailer and motor vehicle crashes, premises liability, and wrongful death. He is a meticulous and thorough advocate who has built his practice around the serious, complex cases the firm is known for.
Practice Areas: Brain Injury, Truck Accidents, Car Accidents, Catastrophic Injuries, Premises Liability, Wrongful Death
Direct Office Line: (804) 368-1880
Email Address: jcantor@virginiatrialfirm.com
Virginia Bar No.: 92145
Joseph has served as co-counsel on a series of significant recoveries for injured Virginians and the families of those who were killed. He approaches each case with the thorough preparation the firm’s verdicts and settlements are built on.
Representative results include:
$4 million settlement in a tractor-trailer crash that caused a traumatic brain injury (2018), as co-counsel
$2.125 million settlement in a tractor-trailer crash (2025), as co-counsel
$1.25 million settlement in a traumatic brain injury case (2022), as co-counsel
Results depend on the unique facts of each case. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter.
Joseph’s connection to trial work began early. He started at the firm as a summer law clerk on its catastrophic injury team in 2011, joined as an attorney in 2017 immediately after graduating cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law, and became a partner in 2022. Since 2011 he has also worked with Jury Impressions, a Richmond jury-consulting group, where he has taken part in more than 200 focus groups alongside trial lawyers across Virginia on brain injury, tractor-trailer, wrongful death, spinal cord injury, products liability, premises liability, and medical malpractice cases. That work has given him a close, practical view of how juries receive and weigh evidence in serious injury cases.
Joseph has been recognized by his peers throughout his career. He has been selected to the Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars list every year since 2019, including in 2026; the Rising Stars list is limited to attorneys who are under 40 or in practice fewer than ten years, and to no more than 2.5 percent of eligible attorneys in the Commonwealth. He has also been named to The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list every year since 2021, including in 2026, for both Personal Injury Litigation and Product Liability Litigation on the plaintiffs’ side, a category that recognizes attorneys in the earlier part of their careers.
Leadership in the bar and the brain injury community is the throughline of Joseph’s career so far. He serves as President of the Board of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, where he has been a board member since 2022 and President since 2024. Within the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association he serves as District Governor for the Fourth District and Co-Chair of the Litigation Support Committee, and he previously chaired the association’s Young Trial Lawyers Section, organizing its first Young Trial Lawyers Retreat in 2023 and its Advanced Traumatic Brain Injury Retreat in 2020.
In 2025, Joseph worked as co-counsel on a tractor-trailer case that resulted in a $2.125 million settlement.
He is Social Chair of the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court and a member of the American Association for Justice, including its Brain Injury and Trucking Litigation groups.
Education and Bar AdmissionsJoseph earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2017, and a B.S. from Rollins College in 2013. In 2020 he completed the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law.
He is admitted to practice in Virginia (2017, Bar No. 92145) and before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Western District of Virginia.
Honors and AwardsVirginia Super Lawyers® Rising Stars (2019 through 2026)
The Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch,” Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (2021 through 2026)
Brain Injury Association of Virginia
President of the Board (2024 to present)
Board Member (2022 to present)
Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
District Governor, Fourth District (2024 to present)
Co-Chair, Litigation Support Committee (2025 to 2026)
Co-Chair, Membership Committee (2024 to 2025)
Co-Chair, Public Affairs Committee (2023 to 2024)
Chair, Young Trial Lawyers Section (2022 to 2023)
American Association for Justice
Brain Injury Litigation Group
Trucking Litigation Group
New Lawyers Division, Development Committee (2021 to 2022)
Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court
Social Chair (2021 to present)
Virginia Bar Association
Richmond Bar Association
Member, Programs Committee (2026 to present)
“I was involved in a devastating car accident that completely changed my life. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, but I knew the person responsible needed to be held accountable. I came across Joseph Cantor of Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci and decided to call, and that same day I heard back from him. From the very beginning, he reassured me that he had my back. Throughout the entire process he was always available, answering my texts, calls, and emails promptly, and he checked in on me after every doctor’s appointment to make sure I was doing okay. Joseph fought tirelessly to ensure I received the best possible outcome from my injury claim. Looking back, I know I made the right choice by making that initial call.”
— Roberto Gomez
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat types of cases does Joseph Cantor handle?
Joseph Cantor handles catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases in Virginia. His practice focuses on traumatic brain injury, tractor-trailer and motor vehicle crashes, premises liability, and wrongful death. He represents people who have suffered life-altering injuries and families who have lost a loved one because of someone else’s negligence.
Where is Joseph Cantor licensed to practice?
Joseph Cantor is admitted to practice in Virginia (Bar No. 92145) and before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. He practices from the firm’s Richmond, Virginia office.
What is Joseph Cantor known for?
Joseph Cantor is known as a trial lawyer for serious injury cases and for his leadership in the brain injury community as President of the Board of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia. He has served as co-counsel on multiple recoveries of more than $1 million and has worked on more than 200 jury focus groups across Virginia. Results depend on the unique facts of each case and do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Has Joseph Cantor been recognized by his peers?
Yes. Joseph Cantor has been selected to the Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars list every year since 2019, including in 2026, and to The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list every year since 2021, including in 2026. These recognitions reflect peer assessment and do not guarantee a particular result.
This profile is attorney advertising and is provided for general information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case results depend on the unique facts of each matter, and prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Listings and awards reflect peer assessments for the year indicated and are not approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia or the Virginia State Bar.
